A wide variety of machines have been developed for automatically labeling bottles and other cylindrical containers. With one such machine, the label has an adhesive applied to the back of the label, typically using an adhesive--applying glue roller. The prepared label is transferred to a transfer roller with the front edge of the label secured to the transfer roller. The transfer roller translates and presses the label against a stationary container. This causes the label, due to the adhesive on the back of the label, to stick to the container after released by the transfer roller. The container is then moved down the line and the label is smoothed onto the container by brushes.
One of the problems with transfer roller-type labelling machines is they are not flexible. That is, if one wishes to use the labelling machine with a different size or type of label, various parts on the machine must be changed since they are especially adapted for one label type and size, or at best a narrow range of label types and sizes. Although this drawback may not be a problem for a labelling station in which the labels and containers do not vary, it creates significant drawbacks when flexibility is needed. This is particularly true in certain industries, such as the wine industry, in which certain services are provided to small customers by outside contractors. For example, mobile bottling lines are used to bottle wine for small wineries, which cannot justify the expense of purchasing their own bottling line for a relatively limited production. However, such mobile bottling lines must be able to accommodate different sizes, types and shapes of labels. Changing labels with transfer roller-type labeling machines requires the bottling line be shut down, components replaced and the machine readjusted, assuming the parts are available, all of which adds to the expense of the final product.